NEW: Worcester’s Derek Brindisi Named To MA Public Health Council

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

GoLocalWorcester Health Team

Governor Deval Patrick has appointed Derek Brindisi, Director of Public Health for the City of Worcester and the Central MA Regional Public Health Alliance, to the Massachusetts Public Health Council effective immediately. Brindisi received a letter of appointment from Patrick on Monday and will be sworn in within the next two days.

The PHC

The Public Health Council (PHC), which was reconstituted in 2007 as part of Health Care Reform, consists of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner as Chairman and fourteen additional members. The Governor appoints twelve of the fourteen members, while the Secretary of Elder Affairs and the Secretary of Veterans’ Services appoint the other two members, who must be non-providers, respectively.

The PHC meets once a month at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, Bowditch Public Health Council Room - 2nd Floor, Boston, MA. Regular meetings of the PHC are open to public observation of the proceedings.

Among the PHC's responsibilities are:

Promulgation of most regulations
Approval of Determination of Need (DoN) applications
Advising the Department on major policy decisions, at the discretion of the Commissioner
Granting the Commissioner authority to take necessary actions to protect the public health upon a declaration of a public health emergency by the Governor

About Brindisi

Brindisi recently co-chaired the city-wide Community Health Improvement Initiative which included a comprehensive Community Health Assessment (CHA) and the launch of the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), a strategic plan with an overall vision of achieving the status of “Healthiest City in New England” by 2020. He also led the City’s regionalization efforts to develop the Central MA Regional Public Health Alliance which now serves the towns of Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Shrewsbury and West Boylston along with the City of Worcester. Mr. Brindisi has served as Director of Public Health since 2007 and has been employed with the City since 2000.